fastvrjohnny , who did you buy the shocks from ,Ohlins directly or a dealer for Ohlins ? I have dealt with some guy from Fla . , Howard , i'll give his first name , he's a NUT ! , thats why i'am asking from whom did you buy. Thanks , Greg

A buddy of mine is an engineer for a local motorcycle company. He ordered directly from Ohlins.

I found a set with 14.25" hole to hole. After some calls to HD and Ohlins in NC, they should work. Weight and shock angles were the big question marks. I can say this, thank god for lighter exhaust, wheels and rotors. But even stock, Ohlins said these shocks are more than Beefy enough to deal with the R.

A buddy of mine is an engineer for a local motorcycle company. He ordered directly from Ohlins.

I found a set with 14.25" hole to hole. After some calls to HD and Ohlins in NC, they should work. Weight and shock angles were the big question marks. I can say this, thank god for lighter exhaust, wheels and rotors. But even stock, Ohlins said these shocks are more than Beefy enough to deal with the R.

So they might fit and lower the rear end, but not designed for an R. And what effect does unsprung weight--wheels and rotors have on shock selection? I believed it to be none.

So they might fit and lower the rear end, but not designed for an R. And what effect does unsprung weight--wheels and rotors have on shock selection? I believed it to be none.

Sprung Weight: The complete chassis, including all the parts that are suspended above the shock spring, is considered sprung weight. That includes the frame, engine, plastic, controls, saddle, handlebars, upper fork tubes and shock body. It's called sprung weight because springs are used to hold it up and to isolate it from the bumps that the wheels hit.

Unsprung Weight: Unsprung weight is the mass that hangs below the springs (fork legs, hubs, brake calipers, rotors, spokes, rims, swingarm, linkage, tires, tubes and rim locks). Unsprung weight is connected more to the ground than the parts above it. When you hit a bump, unsprung components compress into the chassis to absorb the impact.

Less weight hanging off the suspension allows the suspension to work more freely, thus making the best of your shocks. The combination of my BST wheels and these shocks should be pretty dramatic.

"To make your steering and handling performance easier, it’s as simple as reducing unsprung weight. One way is to exchange your steel rims for lightweight (but pricey), aluminium, or state of the art, carbon fibre rims. These will allow you more precise steering inputs and improved "turning in" characteristics—plus look incredibly sexy on your bike!
Simple weight reduction by way of wheels, is a key concept that many riders overlook—but you probably noticed more and more, that today’s motorcycle models are arriving from the factory with lighter weight wheels. Ducati’s a good example of this using the famed Italian brand Marchesini for most sport/superbike models."

Whats the mod. number for the Ohlins shock you bought ? I know they will match motorcycle & rider wieght for spring & will ask about riding style . Mod. # would be nice to know, thanks ,Greg

Greg, I got the HD #907. Ohlins in NC added a heavier spring for the R. Said I didn't need it, but with the 3/4" of travel between the swing arm and tanks, its better to be safe than sorry. If it's too much, Ohlins said they'd replace the spring.